Metallic railway tie



April 15, 1930. R. L. VARE METALLIC RAiLWAY TIE Filed April 6, 1929Patented Apr. 15, 1930 PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND L. vane, or eEnMANrowN,PENNSYLVANIA METALLIC RAILWAY TIE Application fil dd April 6, 1929.Serial No. 352,953.

It is the object and effect of my invention to provide a metallic tieformed of comparatively thin plate-s of wrought metal, preferably lowcarbon steel, or iron, which are so 5 assembled and united by weldingtheir edges J as to afford the maximum degree of rigidity with theminimum amount of metal.

An adjunctive feature of my invention is a rail chair plate, which maybe welded in 1 integral relation with the tie aforesaid, or

be used separately in connection with a wooden tie and having means foradjustably rigidly securing a rail in proper spaced relation thereon andin electrically insulated relation therewith. Such chair plates areadapted to cooperate with lever clamp blocks which are respectivelyfulcrumed upon the outer upper edges of the ends of said plates; saidplates having screw sockets extending vertically therein local to eachclamp block and adapted to receive cap screws for pressing the clampblocks downwardly upon the rail flanges. Said plates also have screwsockets extending horizontally in the ends thereof adapted to receivecap screws which bear upon the outer ends of the respective clampblocks; whereby said blocks may be adjusted transversely to the rails,to properly space the latter. i

My improved rail clamping means also include a locking plate wherebyboth of the cap screws local to each block may be prevented fromrotating from the position to which they are adjusted butwhich may bereadily released to permit said screws to be further adjusted.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings; Fig. I is a perspective view of a railway tieembodying my invention, including a pair of railway chair platesintegrally connected therewith.

Fig. II is a transverse sectional view of said tie, taken on a verticalplane indicated by the sectionline II, II in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the tie shownin Fig. I, with a chair plate and its appurtenances thereon engaging arail in adjusted position.

Fig. IV is a plan view of one of the screw locking plates shown in Fig.III.

Fig. V is an end View of said locking plate.

Fig. V I is a perspective view of a modified form of chair plate, havingholes for lag screws to connect it with a tie and having calks adaptedto be imbedded in such tie.

Referring to the form of my invention shown in Figs. I to V inclusive;the metallic tie 1 includes the base plate 2, preferably having thelongitudinal channel 3 and laterally extending plane fianges 4 abovesaid channel, thruout its length. Said tie also includes pairs oflongitudinal metal outer strut plates 5 and inner strut plates 6 whichare primarily separate from said base plate 2 but are connectedtherewith by respective longitudinal welded joints 7 and 8 with all ofsaid strut plates upwardly and inwardly inclined, as shown in Fig. II.Said plates 5 and 6 are connected with the cap plate 10 by welded joints11 at opposite edges of said cap plate and coextensive therewith.

The pair of rail chair plates 12 are pre cisely alike and are spotwelded to said cap plate 10 and rigidly connected with the outer strutplates 5 of the tie by welded joints 13, in properly spaced relationwith reference to the gauge of the railway, as indicated in Fig. I. Saidchair plates 12 not only thus serve to precisely locate the rails on theties l but, as shown in Fig. II; said chair plates 12 thus cooperativelyconnect said outer strut plates 5 against relative movement, at theregions of the tie 1 which are subjected to the greatest stressestending to deform it. Each of said chair plates 12 has, at opposite endsthereof, similar fulcrum ribs 1 Each such plate 12 also has two screwsockets 16 extending vertically therein respectively near pair of leverclamp blocks 22 which are fulcrumed upon said ribs 14 and adapted to bedrawn downwardly by said screws 20 which extend thru slots 23 in therespective blocks. Said blocks 22 have bifurcated outer end flanges 24adapted to receive, between their bifurcations, respective set screws 26which extend in said screw sockets 17 in the plates 12 and are adaptedto adjust said blocks 22 transversely to the base flanges 28 on therails 30. Said blocks 22 have respective flanges 31 near their innerends which depend in opposition to the side edges of the rail flanges 28and determine the position of said rails.

In order to electrically insulate said rails from said chair plates 12;I prefer to provide each such plate with a pad of insulating material32. Each of said blocks 22 is also electrically insulated from theadjoining rail flange 28, by an angular pad of insulating material 34,interposed as shown in Fig. III.

In order to prevent accidental displacement of said screws 20 and 26from any position .0 which they may be adjusted; I prefer to providethem with looking plates 36, each of which has an opening 37 fitted tothe head of the local cap screw 20, and has a notch 38 fitted to thehead of the local set screw 26. Each of said plates 36 is normally inthe shape shown in full lines in Figs. IV and V; in which shape it maybe readily fitted downwardly over the heads of both of said screws 20and 26, as indicated in Figs. III and V. Thereupon, the prongs 40 onsaid locking plates 36 may be bent inwardly to prevent the respectivelocking plates from being accidentally dislodged upwardly; thuspreventing rotation of both screws. However, said plates 36 are made ofmetal, preferably mild annealed steel, so far flexible that said pron 40may be rebent outwardly from the position indicated in dotted lines inFig. V to the position shown in full lines in said figure, to permit theremoval of the lock plates 36 thus released, and permit furtheradjustment of said screws 20 and 26, when necessary, or if it is desiredto remove the local clamp block 22 or rail 30.

Referring to Fi VI; rail chair plates 42, otherwise resembl lng saidchair plates 12, have a plurality of holes 43 extending therethru, forlag screws to engage them with wooden ties, and have a plurality ofcalks 45 and 46, projecting downwardly therefrom, in transverse relationwith each other, and adapted to be imbedded in the wooden tie to whichthe plate is connected; so as to prevent accidental lateral displacementof the plate 42. It is to be understood that such plates 42 may beequipped with clamp blocks 22 secured by screws 20 and 26, as abovedescribed.

Moreover, altho I prefer to form the tie base plate 2 with anintermediate longitudinal channel 3 and to close the opposite ends ofthe ties with closure plates 48 which are welded in integral relationwith said plates 2, 5, and 10; said base plate 2 may be made plane andsaid end closure plates may be omitted, and said inner strut plates 6may be terminated at the outer ends of the chair plates 12,-instead ofbeing coextensive with the strut plates 5, in order to lessen the costof construction of my improved tie. Moreover, other locking means may beemployed in lieu of the plates 36.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details ofconstruction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious thatvarious modifications may be made therein without departing from theessential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. In a metallic railway tie, the combination with outer upwardlyconverging strut plates; of inner upwardly converging strut platessecured at "their upper edges to said outer plates and having theirlower edges in spaced relation with each other and with said outerplates; and a base plate connected with the lower edges of said strutplates; whereby each of said outer plates is obliquely braced by one ofsaid inner plates.

2. A structure as in claim 1, including welded joints connecting saidplates.

3. A tie structure as in claim 1; including a cap plate connected withthe upper edges of said strut plates.

4. A tie structure as in claim 1; having rail securing means at the topthereof.

5. A tie structure as in claim 1; having rail securing means at the topthereof, including chair plates rigidly connected with said strut platesand bridging the outer strut plates.

6. A tie structureas in claim 1 having rail securing means at the topthereof, includ ing chair plates rigidly connected with said strutplates and bridging and cooperatively connecting said outer strut platesagainst relative movement at the regions of the tie which aresubjectedto the greatest stresses; and lever clamping means carried bysaid chair plates.

7. A tie structure as inclaim '1; having rail securing means at the topthereof, including chair plates rigidly connected with said strut platesand bridging and cooperatively connecting said outer strut platesagainst relative movement at the regions of the tie which are subjectedto the greatest stresses; lever clamping means carried by said chairplates; and screw means adjustable longitudinally with respect to thetie and adapted to determine't-he spaced relation of the rails on saidchair plates.

8. A tie structure as in claim 1; wherein the base plate has a channelintermediate of its width and extending longitudinally with respect tothe tie.

9. A tie structure as in claim 1; wherein the base plate has a channelintermediate of its width and extending longitudinally with respect tothe tie; and laterally extending flanges at the upper portion of saidchannel; said flanges being respectively rigidly connected with thelower edges of the outer strut plates.

10. A tie structure as in claim 1; wherein the base plate includes achannel with upwardly diverging sides extending in cont-act with thelower edges of the inner strut plates, and the lower edges of said strutplates are joined to the sides of said channel by metal welded on saidchannel walls and forming step sets for said strut plates.

11. A metallic railway tie including a base plate having a downwardlyextending channeled portion intermediate of its width; and flangesextending transversely to the length of said tie at the top of saidchannel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at PhiladelphiaPennsylvania, this fifth day of April, 1929.

RAYMOND L. VARE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,754,917. Granted April 15, 1930, to

RAYMOND L. VARE.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3,line 18, claim 10, for the word "sets" read "seats"; and that the saidLetters Patent shenld be read with this cerreetion therein that the samemay eonierm to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of May, A. D. 193%.

. M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

